Petra Doctrinal Statement
"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." -AW Tozer
Is Doctrine Important?
Yes, doctrine is extremely important. It is eternally important.
These verses point to the critical importance of having sound doctrine: 1 Tim. 4:6, 2 Tim. 4:2-3, Titus 1:9; 2:1
We are accountable to God for what we believe, think, practice, and our application of the truth that He has revealed to us through His Word. All the Holy Scriptures testify to the fact that God wants us to know and understand the truth and know Him through that truth, so we don't follow after empty, senseless philosophies, or human wisdom, which will further separate us from God and true biblical understanding (Galatians 1:1-10).
It is important to have both right doctrine (orthodoxy) and right practice (orthopraxy).
These verses point to the critical importance of having sound doctrine: 1 Tim. 4:6, 2 Tim. 4:2-3, Titus 1:9; 2:1
We are accountable to God for what we believe, think, practice, and our application of the truth that He has revealed to us through His Word. All the Holy Scriptures testify to the fact that God wants us to know and understand the truth and know Him through that truth, so we don't follow after empty, senseless philosophies, or human wisdom, which will further separate us from God and true biblical understanding (Galatians 1:1-10).
It is important to have both right doctrine (orthodoxy) and right practice (orthopraxy).
The Bible
All Scripture in its original manuscripts is inspired by God. It is useful and sufficient for every area of life and practice in order to live as God has commanded leading unto salvation from sin and eternal punishment. We don't need any additional Word than God’s Word as Genesis to Revelation is God’s complete revelation to mankind. We have the canon of Scripture by God’s Spirit working through the unique personalities and calling of 40 different authors over a period of 1400 years who wrote down the very words of God in 66 books. This is what we believe to be the canon of Scripture as God has divinely decreed. The Word of God is the exact representation of the character of God and it will complete the entire purposes of God’s sovereign and perfect will as He has decreed before the foundations of the earth. (2 Tim. 3:15-17, 2 Pet. 1:3-4, 20-21, Is. 55:11).
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God. He is a personal being with all the attributes of God. He is the third Person, not a Holy Ghost, of the Trinity. He is the One who regenerates sinners, guides them in all truth, teaches them, illuminates, and reminds them of what has been revealed in the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit is essential for the salvation of every believer and is the One who gives new birth and seals the believer with the guarantee of salvation. (Acts 5:3-4, Titus 3:5b, John 14:16-17, 16:5-15, Eph. 1:13)
Salvation
Salvation is a gift that God offers to man by His grace (unmerited favor) when they place their faith in Christ Jesus alone and in His righteousness. Salvation is not free as it cost Jesus His very life and blood. Jesus paid the price for man’s sin and its penalty, so that man could receive salvation from God as a free gift. Man has no righteousness of his own but was born into sin, incapable of gaining any merit before God, and therefore must repent of his sin, confess with his mouth, and believe in his heart that Christ finished the work of salvation on the Cross of Calvary. (Eph. 2:8-9, 2 Tim. 1:9, Is. 64:5-6, Acts 2:38, John 19:30)
Man
Man was created in the image and likeness of God. He sinned and was separated from the glory of God, spiritually dead, without relationship, in enmity, and without peace with His maker. Man is totally depraved and born as a child of the devil. Man’s heart will live in open or hidden rebellion against God until God’s Spirit begins to convict and regenerate his heart to the point of confession, repentance, and belief in Christ alone. (Gen. 1:26-27, Gen. 3:1-24, Rom. 3:23, 10-20, 5:12, 6:23a; I John 3:10, Is. 57:20-21)
The Church
The church is the body of Christ. It is the assembly of true believers, the remnant, who have been born again by believing in the sacrifice of Christ alone and walk by His Spirit. The church of Christ is comprised of believers who are still sinners, awaiting for their full adoption as sons and daughters of the King when Christ returns. Christ’s Church will reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom after a period of tribulation upon the earth. The calling of the church is to remain faithful to the King as it awaits for His return. It is not for the church to debate how or when the “Day of the Lord” will happen as God alone knows. The church is called to suffer persecutions and to be faithful through every and all tribulations until the end has come. This means the church is to watch for the King’s return, prepare their hearts now, be faithful stewards continually, and preach the gospel boldly until God’s final judgment of the righteous and the wicked is given upon heaven and earth. (Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-27, 1 Cor. 12:12-14, Acts 2:41, John 16:33, Matt. 24:30-31, 42-51, Matt 24:36, Mark 13, I Thess. 5:1-11)
Church Ordinances
Water Baptism: Baptism is an ordinance of God for the church. It is done in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit as a public declaration of faith and commitment to Christ. The person who is baptized is one who has recognized his sin, repented, and has been converted from an old man to a new creature once he believes in Christ. There is no evidence of infant baptism recorded in Scripture. The Bible does not give any connection between circumcision of the Old Testament and infant baptism in the New but it does teach that the New Covenant brings circumcision of the heart which can only happen in a child or an adult who has heard the gospel (Romans 10:17), and responded with faith and repentance (Acts 2:38). An infant cannot do this, therefore the practice of infant baptism is not biblical. It is not recommended that infant baptism be used for baby dedication as it can misconstrue believer’s baptism as taught by Scripture. (Matt. 28:19, Acts 8:26-39,16:31-34, Ezekiel 36:26)
The Lord's Supper: We celebrate the Lord's Supper in obedience to God, remembering the death and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins. In it we examine our hearts for any sin to be confessed and forsaken before taking the elements. We also express grief for our sins, gratitude, and praise as we meditate on the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ on our behalf. (1 Cor. 11:23-26, 15:1-19)
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
God is sovereign in the provision of spiritual gifts. It is a privilege and responsibility of every believer before God to use those gifts for the service of others, thereby edifying the whole body of Christ. Spiritual gifts are not to be used for the purpose of selfish gain or self-glory. Each believer has been given at least one spiritual gift and that gift can have various manifestations. Ex: Gift of Compassion – Hospitality, making of meals, counseling, caring for the sick, serving others, cleaning, quickly giving grace to the offender, encouraging words to others, generosity to those in need. Discernment is necessary for the use and governance of the gifts because Satan parades as an angel of light and has purposed to counterfeit the acts of God in the spirit of the antichrist. (1 Cor. 12:4-7, 11, 13, Eph. 4:7-8, Rom. 12:6-8, 1 Pet. 4:10-11, 2 Cor. 11:14, 2 John 1:7, 1 Tim. 4:1)
The Final Resurrection and Judgement
We believe in the bodily resurrection and final judgment of God for the just and unjust. The elect of God are destined for eternal bliss in the new heavens and new earth, reigning with Christ forever with glorified bodies. The wicked are destined for eternal bodily punishment which will be a conscious eternal torment in the lake of fire. (Acts 24:15, 1 Thess. 4:16-17, 2 Thess. 1:7-9, Matt. 25:46, Rev. 20:15)
Satan and his demons
Satan and his demons are real spiritual beings who rebelled against God and His work. They were defeated by Christ Jesus on the cross of Calvary and have an eternal future in the lake of fire, but continually make war against God and His saints upon the earth. At the final judgment, Satan and demons will be cast into the lake of fire for all of eternity. (Is. 14:12-14, Col. 2:15, Matt. 25:41, 2 Cor. 10:5, Eph. 6:10-24, Rev. 20:10)
All Scripture in its original manuscripts is inspired by God. It is useful and sufficient for every area of life and practice in order to live as God has commanded leading unto salvation from sin and eternal punishment. We don't need any additional Word than God’s Word as Genesis to Revelation is God’s complete revelation to mankind. We have the canon of Scripture by God’s Spirit working through the unique personalities and calling of 40 different authors over a period of 1400 years who wrote down the very words of God in 66 books. This is what we believe to be the canon of Scripture as God has divinely decreed. The Word of God is the exact representation of the character of God and it will complete the entire purposes of God’s sovereign and perfect will as He has decreed before the foundations of the earth. (2 Tim. 3:15-17, 2 Pet. 1:3-4, 20-21, Is. 55:11).
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God. He is a personal being with all the attributes of God. He is the third Person, not a Holy Ghost, of the Trinity. He is the One who regenerates sinners, guides them in all truth, teaches them, illuminates, and reminds them of what has been revealed in the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit is essential for the salvation of every believer and is the One who gives new birth and seals the believer with the guarantee of salvation. (Acts 5:3-4, Titus 3:5b, John 14:16-17, 16:5-15, Eph. 1:13)
Salvation
Salvation is a gift that God offers to man by His grace (unmerited favor) when they place their faith in Christ Jesus alone and in His righteousness. Salvation is not free as it cost Jesus His very life and blood. Jesus paid the price for man’s sin and its penalty, so that man could receive salvation from God as a free gift. Man has no righteousness of his own but was born into sin, incapable of gaining any merit before God, and therefore must repent of his sin, confess with his mouth, and believe in his heart that Christ finished the work of salvation on the Cross of Calvary. (Eph. 2:8-9, 2 Tim. 1:9, Is. 64:5-6, Acts 2:38, John 19:30)
Man
Man was created in the image and likeness of God. He sinned and was separated from the glory of God, spiritually dead, without relationship, in enmity, and without peace with His maker. Man is totally depraved and born as a child of the devil. Man’s heart will live in open or hidden rebellion against God until God’s Spirit begins to convict and regenerate his heart to the point of confession, repentance, and belief in Christ alone. (Gen. 1:26-27, Gen. 3:1-24, Rom. 3:23, 10-20, 5:12, 6:23a; I John 3:10, Is. 57:20-21)
The Church
The church is the body of Christ. It is the assembly of true believers, the remnant, who have been born again by believing in the sacrifice of Christ alone and walk by His Spirit. The church of Christ is comprised of believers who are still sinners, awaiting for their full adoption as sons and daughters of the King when Christ returns. Christ’s Church will reign with Christ in the millennial kingdom after a period of tribulation upon the earth. The calling of the church is to remain faithful to the King as it awaits for His return. It is not for the church to debate how or when the “Day of the Lord” will happen as God alone knows. The church is called to suffer persecutions and to be faithful through every and all tribulations until the end has come. This means the church is to watch for the King’s return, prepare their hearts now, be faithful stewards continually, and preach the gospel boldly until God’s final judgment of the righteous and the wicked is given upon heaven and earth. (Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-27, 1 Cor. 12:12-14, Acts 2:41, John 16:33, Matt. 24:30-31, 42-51, Matt 24:36, Mark 13, I Thess. 5:1-11)
Church Ordinances
Water Baptism: Baptism is an ordinance of God for the church. It is done in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit as a public declaration of faith and commitment to Christ. The person who is baptized is one who has recognized his sin, repented, and has been converted from an old man to a new creature once he believes in Christ. There is no evidence of infant baptism recorded in Scripture. The Bible does not give any connection between circumcision of the Old Testament and infant baptism in the New but it does teach that the New Covenant brings circumcision of the heart which can only happen in a child or an adult who has heard the gospel (Romans 10:17), and responded with faith and repentance (Acts 2:38). An infant cannot do this, therefore the practice of infant baptism is not biblical. It is not recommended that infant baptism be used for baby dedication as it can misconstrue believer’s baptism as taught by Scripture. (Matt. 28:19, Acts 8:26-39,16:31-34, Ezekiel 36:26)
The Lord's Supper: We celebrate the Lord's Supper in obedience to God, remembering the death and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins. In it we examine our hearts for any sin to be confessed and forsaken before taking the elements. We also express grief for our sins, gratitude, and praise as we meditate on the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ on our behalf. (1 Cor. 11:23-26, 15:1-19)
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
God is sovereign in the provision of spiritual gifts. It is a privilege and responsibility of every believer before God to use those gifts for the service of others, thereby edifying the whole body of Christ. Spiritual gifts are not to be used for the purpose of selfish gain or self-glory. Each believer has been given at least one spiritual gift and that gift can have various manifestations. Ex: Gift of Compassion – Hospitality, making of meals, counseling, caring for the sick, serving others, cleaning, quickly giving grace to the offender, encouraging words to others, generosity to those in need. Discernment is necessary for the use and governance of the gifts because Satan parades as an angel of light and has purposed to counterfeit the acts of God in the spirit of the antichrist. (1 Cor. 12:4-7, 11, 13, Eph. 4:7-8, Rom. 12:6-8, 1 Pet. 4:10-11, 2 Cor. 11:14, 2 John 1:7, 1 Tim. 4:1)
The Final Resurrection and Judgement
We believe in the bodily resurrection and final judgment of God for the just and unjust. The elect of God are destined for eternal bliss in the new heavens and new earth, reigning with Christ forever with glorified bodies. The wicked are destined for eternal bodily punishment which will be a conscious eternal torment in the lake of fire. (Acts 24:15, 1 Thess. 4:16-17, 2 Thess. 1:7-9, Matt. 25:46, Rev. 20:15)
Satan and his demons
Satan and his demons are real spiritual beings who rebelled against God and His work. They were defeated by Christ Jesus on the cross of Calvary and have an eternal future in the lake of fire, but continually make war against God and His saints upon the earth. At the final judgment, Satan and demons will be cast into the lake of fire for all of eternity. (Is. 14:12-14, Col. 2:15, Matt. 25:41, 2 Cor. 10:5, Eph. 6:10-24, Rev. 20:10)